Eyes of the Beholder
by E3-FantasyandReality
Summary: The sole survivor of the Fourth Shinobi War, Hatake Kakashi, thought it was the end. However, the end was just the beginning. After being sent back to the past, with full possession of the Mangekyō sharingan, Kakashi tries to steer "fate" to save his comrades. But can he? Stronger!Kakashi. [Time-Travel!]


A/N: Alright, a fresh start! :) Sorry for those who have read it before! I just wanted to start on a fresh page! Nothing has changed. I wish to update soon with better content! Bear with me a second! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any shape or form.

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_**Prologue: To Bring back Time**_

It was over.

The die had cast when humanity's only hope withered as if he wasn't anything significant. Naruto Uzumaki, the flamboyant boy who held so much pride within him, had the Kyūbi extracted from his body. The seal the Fourth repaired couldn't restrain nor bind the vexed Nine Tails - no matter how formidable Minato was with seals.

The Allied Shinobi had lost.

Everything was hopeless.

Hundreds of thousands had fallen prey to the two _infamous _Uchiha. No one survived, they perished underneath the wrath of the Uchiha duo. As well as corps being littered across the battlefield hundreds of titanic craters scattered all over, and it reshaped the geographic landscape near the Land of Fire.

What had gone wrong? What miscalculation did they do? Were they too naïve to overlook the circumstances when Madara waged war against them?

It didn't matter now. No one can save the world from their inevitable end. Madara and Obito had prevailed, with the sun just over the horizon. It's as if the universe were rejoicing over the matter. Golden rays of light shone behind Madara - highlighting him as the omnipotent one - as he stood on top of a miniature mountain of lifeless bodies with his hand firmly on his hip.

His keen obsidian orbs scanned the desolated area he had destroyed and redefined with his own hands. Everyone was dead, or dying, and Madara was content with that, however, '_That chakra... hm, he's still alive.'_

Not too long after he was accompanied by his sole comrade. The man who helped with his conspiracy and his long desire wish: _Tsuki no Me Keikaku. _Obito Uchiha - once a Leaf Génin, and now an S class criminal - jumped to his stead, focused and tensed.

"So you've sensed it too," Madara quickly glanced at Obito. The man looked disturbed, unsettled and wary. He couldn't blame him, there was one more presence lurking someplace. "Well, aren't you going to finish _him _off?"

The younger Uchiha glared at his mentor who couldn't quite conceal his mirth. With a nod, and absolute resolve, Obito disappeared in thin air.

_**~O~O~**_

The lone silver-haired Jōnin remained knelt down on his knees, head up high to the unforgiving heavens, left hand bitterly balled into a fist, lips parted as if he wanted to speak.

His sharingan scanned around idly, and failed to register anyone's chakra. He knew he wasn't the only one alive but, he couldn't sense nor whiff out anyone's chakra. And he also knew that if there were any survivors they weren't _friendly. _

_We lost, huh?_

Thick grey smoke lingered around Kakashi like dancers gracefully dancing on stage. However, it wasn't as gracious as it appeared to be in the atmosphere. The Jōnin felt suffocated, the smoke was clogged up his throat and cemented in his lungs like tar. The dirt spinning around with the wind approached Kakashi with a harsh pace, and tiny bits which found its way on Kakashi's eye stung like thorns prickling into exposed flesh.

It didn't matter to the Jōnin, though, he could barely feel anything anymore.

Kakashi's left hearing was permanently damaged; his right onyx eye crushed; his right arm twisted till it snapped. He remained knelt down as if he was asking for forgiveness for his failure, but in truth he couldn't move anymore. His body was conquered by fear and his Will of Fire had burnt out.

Another war led him to another excruciatingly painful failure. What has he been doing all these years? Hasn't he tried to make things right again, with his new squad? Oh yeah. He failed them as well.

No matter how much he wanted to wail and spit profanity, he was subdued by the travesty of war and by Madara's ominous presence drawing closer. Kakashi knew Madara was more than exceptional but, he didn't intercept the result of this war. Numbers _should_ have outweighed Madara's fighting prowess and visual techniques but, instead, it heightened his eager to fight _more. _

The Gokage fell disgracefully against Madara, it was such a distasteful sight. It was as if they obediently bowed down in front of his feet and worshiped, and acknowledged him as _God. _

The next to fall were the Shinobi Alliance. Without their leaders they couldn't find strength within them; their purpose to serve and protect were ripped out by Madara.

After Madara's onslaught only _one _person remained in the Alliance. The man who had many regrets since adolescence. The man who faltered when his students needed him most. Out of all the courageous people in the Alliance, Kami picked _**him**_ to live.

Since the war waged on for days on end; Kakashi was no longer garbed in the usual shinobi attire - it had tattered in the midst of war. Instead he was left with nothing but his fishnet shirt that clung onto his masculine body in vain, and sagged navy pants that could tear off any minute. The mask had been long gone too - he didn't realize it until now.

_What can he do?_

Nothing.

Kakashi could no longer see the meaning, nor the will, to live and cling desperately on for his whimsical existence. Even if he _did_ survive what could he possibly do?

_**Nothing**_

Even with different methods upon tackling the current situation there was only one outcome: hopelessness. Kakashi knew he had been naïve through this entire time - depending solely on Naruto to fight against forces of evil - yet he was too blind to see it.

"What a suiting stance for trash like you." A coarse voice vibrated through Kakashi's flesh. Yet he didn't dare to turn to his side and meet Obito's weary mismatched eyes. "Can't trashes like you turn to look at me?"

Surreptitiously, Kakashi's only functioning eye quickly glanced at Obito, he stood a good six feet away from him. Neither uttered another sentence, their eye communicated in a manner that they could almost interpret each other's thoughts. "You don't want to do this," Kakashi murmured under his breath, averting his eye away from him.

"And what makes you think that?"

It couldn't be helped he needed - he _wanted_ - to face his former comrade and look into his eyes. Guilt swarmed back into his conscience when he saw Obito stagnant just a few feet from him. Although Obito had won the war he still wore a solemn face that didn't show contention, just more sorrow.

Kakashi licked his chapped lips as he tried to suppress his poignant regrets. Then he spoke, slow and forced; "Rin wouldn't want to see you like this."

"How could _you_ possibly know what _Rin _would have wanted?!" Obito barked uncontrollably. "Mission or fault, _you _killed _her!_ You broke your promise!" He stomped toward the helpless Jōnin and grabbed his thin fabric fishnet shirt, then he yanked him closer to his face. "I am doing more for her. You-you-"

"...Should die?" Kakashi finished, unfazed by the overwhelming anger accumulating within Obito. "I can't say I don't agree with that, but-"

Obito's iron clad grip tightened as he pulled him closer, abandoning the code to not invade personal spaces. The pungent scent of blood on their clothes assaulted their nostrils relentlessly. The blood still smelt fresh on their clothes with a hint of burnt ashes, Obito nor Kakashi indulged the smell, in fact they detested it.

"What?" Obito sharply whispered, clutching harder onto his shirt.

"Do _you_ really think Rin would want to see you after _you_ killed _thousands_ of people?" Kakashi asked as he daringly stared into Obito's eyes. The vulnerability inside Obito was still present, Kakashi could sense it. "...It would seem you've reached an impasse, Obito."

The young Uchiha's stoic face fell at a rapid rate, his concealed emotions he held inside him, in vain, leaked out. "...Rin, wouldn't want this?"

"It's ironic in a sense," Kakashi mused out loud, avoiding Obito's question. "You wanted to protect everyone from harm's way but, in the end you're the one who inflicted damage."

"Shut up!" Obito roared. It was as if Kakashi had slapped him into realization. The bitterness welling up at the tip of his tongue felt vile but, he resorted to biting his bottom lip to suppress his guilt. "Don't dare account the things in the past!"

Kakashi's only functioning arm rose from his side and gripped Obito's wrist, then he pushed him away from him. "Isn't that what _you're_ doing?" he grunted as his knees fell onto the rough surface. "You can't live away from the past - so you resulted to Madara's devious plans."

Obito closed his eyes shut, trying to drown out Kakashi's voice because he spoke the truth. He wanted to burst and release his final wrath of Kakashi but he was reluctant. His will restrained his fury and aided him to listen, listen more attentively without the bursting sound of war in the background.

The weather had calm down after the rough night of fighting. The skies were still quite grey but it was beginning to lighten up to a light blue color with hints of white clouds. Wind currents have died as well, everything seemed to have stood still.

"You were the vaunted Black Sheep of the Uchiha!" Kakashi had finally burst, his voice seemed stronger but strained. "Why didn't you come back to the village, Obito!?"

"Sh-"

"You were running away from Rin!" the sentence sliced through Obito like a sharp knife through butter. "You couldn't face her! The truth can never be altered, Obito! She died in the Third Shinobi War to protect the village we love!"

The Jōnin couldn't be calm anymore, he couldn't just wilt back onto the ground again. He needed to reach Obito even if it was the last thing he could ever do. He gritted his teeth together as he used his hand to push himself up again, the muscles in his legs tensed in the process - the pain was drowned by his mentality.

"I tried to reason with you, Obito. All because of Rin and our time together as Team 7!" Kakashi's calm face seemingly disrupted and contorted in anger - this was the first time Obito saw his rage seeping out - as he took a step forward.

Kakashi needed to - he couldn't just watch Obito take his life away without trying to accomplish something - vent his frustration out and hopefully shatter his former comrade from his turmoil.

**"You just made Rin's death in vain!"** The silver-haired Jonin vociferated, knuckles white as snow, with his hand curled into a fist. "You-!"

The sentence made an abrupt halt when Kakashi's fist connected with Obtio's left cheek, the power that ignited Kakashi's fist was his last drop. The punch was vehemently strong it made Obito stumble backwards, unaware from what just happened.

"..You killed the one thing she loved the most - her village!"

The pain throbbing in Obito's cheeks became numb; his heart felt heavy, like his diaphragm had started to contract harder than usual as his ribcage strangled his heart. "Stop-"

"Yes, stop this pitiful sight already." Madara deadpanned.

_**~O~O~**_

The Uchiha stood quite a distance from the two but, the distance that made Kakashi feel at ease was soon closed, when Madara catapulted himself next to Obito. Kakashi's eye tightened as fragments of broken stones were fired directly at him - his arm up in defense wasn't much help at all.

"I guess it is true," Madara sneered with mockery at the sole survivor. "The weak _are_ the last to die; you've just proven my theory right."

"Madara, what are you doing here?" Obito questioned sharply, glaring at him without hesitation. "_I'm_ the one who shall handle this."

Kakashi tried to remain stood but, despite his desperation, his knees and the muscles that had become tensed became weak. '_Shit!' _Gravity pulled his body down without further notice, he fell - for what seemed to be the hundredth time - on the rigid ground. The impact his knee caps made on the ground resulted his skin to slowly tear off, showing all vulnerability with his open wound underneath his navy pants. "Tch!"

"Well, by the looks of things you're not _handling_ anything, Obito." the mentor pointed out nonchalantly, arms folded to show dominance in the field. "I suggest we don't waste anymore time."

In the most microscopical detail Obito's face wrinkled as his face scrunched into a ball of frustration; Kakashi's voice still rang fresh in his mind, "..Give me some time to think."

"You've had time - _twenty years_." Madara was apathetic, like he always was in his youth, and he wanted to hurry and grasp his dream. "My eye, Obito, give it to me."

_Eye?_

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts because of this-this... weakling." he scoffed.

Kakashi's hand balled into a fist to try to suppress his anger. He couldn't recall the last time he had been _graciously_ insulted like this before, he was the prodigy of his generation after all. But here, in this battlefield, he was being openly insulted without any hesitation. Nonetheless, he had no room to complain he was inferior against the other Uchiha, if anything he could only _wish_ and pray he could _kill _him with his eye.

Wishing was still valid, after all.

"I'm not giving you your eye back, Madara." Obito finally answered, clear and strongly put. "Because, I'm not creating a world where the _fake_ Rin exists."

The younger Uchiha walked steadily to Kakashi's side, stretching one arm out as a shield against Madara. He could sense the venom forming in Madara's mouth by the second - even the atmosphere changed around them, it turned solemn again. "I-"

"Surely you jest!" The older Uchiha laughed. "It's already too late to turn back, Obito! The path I set you off is a one-way path!"

"...Who said I'm going to turn back?" Obito crookedly smiled after his response. "You're right, there's no going back in this world. We've killed everyone."

"So why do you oppose me now?"

The answer was simple in Obito's eyes. All he's wanted to see again was Rin's smile but, the sins he had committed has been proven to be fatal and treacherous. Rin wouldn't want to see him after everything he's done. She wouldn't smile or jump for joy after he had stained his hands with more blood any average ninja could handle.

Rin was his dream. Her acknowledgment was all he ever wanted.

**"Because Rin's dream lies in this world."**

Kakashi's body shook along with his scarlet orb, he actually managed to reach out to Obito from the realms of darkness he was in. Obito had come to a clear resolve after acknowledging what Rin's purpose in life was. He actually listened to what Kakashi had tried to drill into his head since the mask of deceit had shattered.

Obito's feelings were now pure, he finally reached an unambiguous conclusion: he wanted to protect Rin's dream to protect the world and village she dearly cherished. The conclusion was evident that Obito's emotions were no longer miscible.

"You-" Kakashi croaked harshly his voice was on a thin thread, his voicebox was starting to give up along with his body. "...Obito."

Madara's facial expression didn't change, that small smile filled with mockery was still there. "Ah, and this is why you're the _worst Uchiha_ to have ever surfaced," he stated, chuckling derisively. "Your heart can easily be tugged by women."

He wanted to tip him over again and coax him back to his side. After all, he still needed him for something. However, there was no denying it - the Uchiha brat had come to his final resolve and he can't be persuaded back again.

"So, you choose oppose me then, yes?" he tutted as he shook his head nonchalantly. "Fine, but Obito, it's not _nice_ to not give something you've _borrowed_ back."

_That something is-_

In a blink of an eye Madara swooped down low and appeared in front of Obito quickly - lightning fast, like Minato - with enough room to draw his hand out. "I shall be having _that_ back." he grinned.

There wasn't any time to move or even react - it was too late - for both of them to respond. Their eyes widened in surprise but their bodies locked itself and binded together on the spot, refusing to move an inch.

Madara's index and middle finger snatched the Rinnegan out of Obito's eye socket, and placed it into his own right socket. "Ah, you were too slow, Obito."

The eyeless Uchiha stumbled back away from Madara with his hand placed on top of his empty bleeding eye socket. He didn't anticipate such quick movement from the other Uchiha. To be frank, he was still in shock.

"Now then,"

**"Kakashi!" **

Sapphire blue Susano'o rose from the ground - skeletal form then it evolved it its armored plated form - with Madara as its user. "Shall we begin?" His Susano'o roared across the wasteland, twin swords spawned into its hands, ready to attack the traitor and survivor.

**"Obito!" **

The Jōnin helplessly limped to reunite with his comrade. He could feel Obito's stance weaken at the growing Susano'o in front of them. There was only one option they could resort to.

No words were spoken. They possessed the same eye. The same power.

"You're nothing but a traitor." Madara commented before he clapped his hands. "_**Death**_ is the penalty for your disloyalty!"

Both arms of the Susano'o raised.

Their fully formed sharingan swirled dramatically in sync.

The arms flew down, full power and speed to the ground, shattering the crumbled ground even more.

Both Mangekyō sucked onto their scarce chakra, greedily sucking their lives in exchange to send the attack to another dimension.

_**"Kamui!"**_

_**~O~O~**_

The outcome of the battle remained vague for Kakashi. He was still dazed from the silver light that shone in the midst of their battle against Madara's Susano'o. Though the outcome was pretty clear - it was crystal clear - they had lost and died, Kakashi remained bewildered.

Everything was pitch black, or maybe he had become blind for overusing his sharingan, and cold. It was odd that he could still sense the chill in the air sinking their fangs into his bare skin, and piercing through his thin clothing.

Was hell rumored to be this cold? Actually, it was said to be scorching hot.

"Maybe I'm in Purgatory and I need someone to pray for me," a grim smile surfaced on his face. "Hah, then again, who would pray for me?"

**"Are in you in that much of a rush to meet Death himself?" **

Wait. Did he just hear that? Someone spoke and said something about meeting Death. Well, accounting everything that has happened that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

_"Kakashi!" _

That voice. It may have been quite raspy and rough on the edges but Kakashi was familiar with that voice. But he couldn't follow it, he was stagnant. Moreover, he wasn't even sure if he was still in possession of his body anymore.

_**Click!** _

The darkness somewhat evaporated before Kakashi's eyes, it was replaced with a white room - with no doors or windows, just a room. The Jōnin peered over his shoulder and saw no one. He was all alone in the empty, white room. What exactly happened?

More importantly, where is he?

Kakashi stretched his arms out and flexed his fingers with ease, he then tried stretching his legs out and it functioned just as well. His broken limbs were no longer damaged; it was back to normal. His hearing was a good as before, as sharp and tentative as before. But his original eye didn't regenerate back, he was still in the possession of one _borrowed_ eye.

**"Are you done inspecting, young man?" **

It was that voice again. That calm, soothing voice echoed throughout the room with great fluidity. The voice was still unknown, despite Kakashi turning all the way around numerous times.

_Have I gone crazy?_

"Turn around again, Kakashi."

Obediently he spun around without hesitation, almost immediately his eye bore into the two people standing in front of him. "...Obi-you're alive." he whispered in disbelief. He took several steps forward till he was close enough to see that Obito was in fact stood in front of him, he wasn't a mirage. "W-What happened?"

**"I think I'm the man best suited to answer your question." **

Kakashi's gaze turned to the man who towered above him, just about that Kakashi had to crane his neck to make eye contact. "...Who are you?" his voice small and more hesitant to what he initially expected. "Do I know you?"

The man had deep wrinkles embedded onto his peach-skin face, with a long goatee, and short spiky grey hair that was spiked up to the top. He also had horn-like protrusions above his eyebrows, as well as a red Rinngan marking on his forehead that struck Kakashi's eye.

**"Most likely. I am the infamous Sage of Six Paths." **

"You...!" Kakashi gasped with his eye gaping wide.

"Was what I also said." Obito remarked. "He's the real deal, Kakashi."

**"Indeed I am. No ordinary man can call the dead back. Fortunately for you, I'm no ordinary man." **

Kakashi felt obliged to show his respect to the Sage so he keenly bowed down in front of him. "Thank you very much I appreciate your kindness!" his head lifted up slowly, eye tightened with questions. "But I doubt you brought us from the dead to... _this,_ just to _chat._" Eyebrows burrowed together as he stood back up on his feet, waiting for his response.

The man nodded truthfully, then he held onto his long beard and ran his fingers through it. **"You're right. I _do _want something in return." **

_I knew it. _

**"Prophecies were foretold about this war but, I guess, they made one miscalculation -" **his wrinkled finger pointed directly at Kakashi as his eyes stared at him eagerly. **"Your existence and survival." **

"W-What?!" he stuttered, bewildered.

**"I thought I knew the outcome of this war because of Fate but you, Kakashi Hatake, your existence altered the outcome. And there had to be a reason for Fate to twist and let you live longer than the Child of Prophecy - Naruto Uzumaki." **

"...I know nothing of this!"

**"Of course you don't, most people don't. However, you do know that you want to change the past and your mistakes." **

The Sage stared at the Jōnin who flinched at his statement, the eye alone sent signals of the man's urgency to change the past. It didn't matter what twisted sentences would come out of his mouth; the truth was already told.

"I can simply want but I can't have." Kakashi mused, "Second chances don't exist. No one can bend time and travel back."

**"I thought I already made it clear that _I'm_ the Sage of Six Paths." **

The silver-haired Jōnin didn't know what to think; was this all a joke, or humiliation to make his failures more evident to him than before? To make him feel the ache in his heart throb harder and pound harder than it ever did?

Or does he speak the truth? Can he really send him back through time?

"Kakashi, listen to the Sage, he's much more powerful than you think." Obito interjected, arms folded with a stoic face. "Beside it's either go back to the past or stay dead in the dark."

**"At least one man understands me. Though it befuddles me because out of the two of you, I thought _Kakashi_ would be the man who would understand me."**

Kakashi remained dumbfounded with the situation unraveling before his very own eye. Though he couldn't completely understand, he knew that having another chance to simply change the past was better than being dead. "So, you want _us _to go back in time?"

He bit his lower lip for the Sage's response, he just hoped he didn't misinterpret the situation. Everything was still vague in his mind.

**"Not the both of you." **

"W-What do you mean?!" Kakashi stuttered, tongue-tied, and bewildered. "We're the only survivors!"

**"Young man, I may be powerful but there's a limit. I can only send _one_ of you back in time, the other has to sacrifice his remaining power to the other, so their chances of surviving won't be slim." **

"What happens if one doesn't give their powers to the other?" Obito questioned with an arched eyebrow.

The Sage hummed for a second, eyebrows knitted together as his hand stroked his long, white goatee. **"Well, the person who travels back in time will have their body torn up into pieces." **

Kakashi flinched at the Sage's calm response. The risk in order to travel back in time seemed too dangerous. But, the will was apparent in Obito's eyes: he has the intention to travel back in time to change the events that transpired. Events that happened without their knowledge and events that were caused by Obito's hands.

They _all_ need to change.

The silver-haired Jōnin remained frozen and speechless, his eye scanned the white room that felt so restricting around them. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. What trash would volunteer to travel back in time and mess things up again? He had his chance to redeem himself and prove to himself that he wasn't trash.

At the end - he failed to redeem himself.

Obito's eye also tightened as he quietly mused among himself. Then, after casting a small smile at Kakashi, he triumphantly stepped forward in the middle of the Sage and Kakashi. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "I'll be the sacrifice."

_What? _

Did Kakashi just hear that right? Obito to be the sacrifice? Did he lose his mind when they died?

"Obito!" he interrupted, "It's your job to go back to the past and make things right! You're right, there's no place for scums - like me - to ask for second chances."

The Uchiha glared at the Jonin with irritation, but his lips curved into a faint smile. Softly he gripped Kakashi's shoulder for comfort or indication to stop talking. "And you're also right: Rin wouldn't want to see me after this."

**"What be your answers, young men?" **

"I'll be the sacrifice," Obito spoke before Kakashi could. He selfishly took on the burden without speaking to Kakashi to negotiate halfway. Not that there's anything to say between them, they practically wanted to kill each other in the battlefield.

Kakashi stepped forward next to Obito - both stared at the Sage with their remaining weary eye - and nodded quietly in agreement. "Fine, but I still think you're best suited for this." he mumbled.

The Uchiha Black Sheep silently held his hand out to the Sage who had a black staff stretched out with both hands. He glanced at Kakashi who mirrored his action, secretly Obito smiled at his comrade. The look of determination was vivid in the eye he lent Kakashi. It was clear to him that his comrade was better suited for the job. He possessed the same eye as Naruto Uzumaki - the eye of determination with the Will of Fire burning it with an eternal flame.

"I have no regrets with my final decision" Obito whispered to Kakashi. "You will possess my powers and become stronger. You'll have my eyes. We'll finally be able to become one and protect Rin."

"Obito-" Kakashi bitterly replied as he tried to compose himself from drowning in tears.

**"Kakashi Hatake, grab the staff. I shall bestow a new kind of power that only _you _will be in possession on." **

Kakashi's hand clasped around the thin black rode tightly with his eye closed. "The honor is mine, Sage-sama."

**"You, Kakashi Hatake, shall have a Kekkei genkai running in your blood. With the new power I'm about to bestow within you, I have no doubt you'll succeed. However, with this power and the Uchiha's combined, it won't be easy to control." **

Obito raised his head up high with a smile plastered on his face, _'...You'll be able to protect Rin, Kakashi. I know you can do it.' _

**"Do you still wish to accept?" **

"Hai!" he answered quickly, almost stunning the other two. He felt the responsibility and trust within the rod, and the hardship waiting for him in the past. However, he felt calm and tranquil about the situation, Obito and the Sage had faith in him and that was enough to suppress the doubt hovering at the back of his mind.

**"Then, Kakashi Hatake, I shall trust you to change the past. Change the horrid outcome that lies in the future."  
**

"I shall do my best!"

**"Remember this well Kakashi - if you fail you will spend your days in Hell, and you will be enslaved forever. That is the consequence of traveling back through time." **

Kakashi nodded quietly and proceeded to grip the rod with his might. "I shall accept the consequences for my failure; no matter how cruel it may be."

**"Obito-boy, place your hand on Kakashi's shoulder and close your eyes." **

The young Uchiha complied and, gracefully, placed his hand on Kakashi's rock hard shoulder. He smirked when he felt Kakashi's shoulder stiffen, his breathing became more restricted and heavy. Before Obito closed his remaining eye, he glanced at Kakashi. "Relax, Kakashi-baka." he playfully teased.

"I am calm. Speak for yourself, your hand is trembling." Kakashi replied with a smirk curling at the end of his chapped lips.

_'...The bonds within these two is strong. Time didn't separate their bonds instead it strengthened it. The emotions Kakashi will bear will either overwhelm him or help him through the long exhausting hurdle he's about to face.'_

**"Alright. It's time. The time has finally come for me to cast this jutsu." **The Sage's grip around his staff tightened before the sharingan on his forehead spiraled into action. **"Kakashi, Obito open your eyes and use your Kamui at the sharingan on my forehead." **

In sync both Obito and Kakashi's eye opened with their full-wheeled sharingan intact, their tomoe swirled at a rapid pace clockwise, slowly curving into a fully developed Mangekyō sharingan wheel. Their pupil shook at the sight of the sharingan also swirling on the Sage's forehead as its ruby red color slowly turned into a strong purple with black rings dilating from the center.

_Mangekyō Sharingan!_

_Rinengan! _

Another eye blinding white light shone behind the Sage as the white walls that surrounded the three dissolved into nothingness, leaving tiny disintegrated white shards. The silver-haired Jōnin felt the staff in his hand disperse into small ashes, and Obito's hand somehow felt like it hovered above his shoulder. He couldn't feel anything and the white flash had blinded his line of vision, his third sense was the only thing he could rely on.

**"I trust you, Kakashi Hatake, to change the ways of Ninja." **

Kakashi couldn't respond - he felt numb and soulless - back to the Sage despite his attempts to open his mouth and speak. It would only take around seventy-two facial muscles for him to reply, yet he couldn't seem to find the strength to utter one single word.

In the blink of an eye the piercing light vanished with a small thunderclap and darkness overwhelmed Kakashi, who still couldn't move his body. _'Shit..!' _The air around him seemed thin and oxygen started to become scarce, greedily Kakashi filled his lungs with oxygen before he exhaled deeply. Slowly, his senses started seeping in and he could feel Obito's hand still firmly on his shoulder.

"K-K-ahshi." Obito struggled to pronounce his name with very little energy he had inside him. He could no longer open his eye, he was pretty sure his sharingan wasn't intact anymore, and his chakra was on a whim. He knew was about to perish in any moment, he knew yet he didn't falter. Instead, with his remaining strength and will, he clutched Kakashi's shoulder for reassurance.

In an instant Obito felt his body disintegrating into the fathomless atmosphere. He didn't want Kakashi to hear his last words with a pitiful tone, he didn't want Kakashi to think he was scared of death.

Before his body scattered Obito opened his mouth and whispered, "Protect what Rin loves most."

**_"Obito!"_ **Kakashi's mouth automatically screamed as his _eyes_ snapped open with both of the Mangekyō sharingan swirling dramatically into obsidian orbs. But the Jōnin couldn't move his body to cling onto Obito desperately, he couldn't function, feel or move.

Obito's presence no longer lingered around the atmosphere; he was gone. His strength and powers had been inherited into Kakashi for his benefit.

Kakashi felt the darkness cloaking around his flesh with a tinge of coldness injecting into his body. Breathing became difficult and it wasn't long until the Jōnin started hyperventilating. '_I... What... What's happening?'_

Golden rays of light preyed upon his naked obsidian eyes and blinded him once more in the spot. Kakashi daringly tried to stare back at the light but his eyes refused to open. The numbness inside him became faint and his body started moving at his own accord once more.

_**Open your eyes.. and walk to the light!**  
_

Kakashi grunted stubbornly as he tried to peal his eyes open in order to stare straight into the light. _'I must...!' _The Jōnin's teeth dug into his bottom lip - strong enough to make it bleed - and his hands curled into a ball to muster up the strength radiating inside him. '_...I will!' _Both eyes snapped open, revealing his new onyx orbs, at his own will.

_**Now walk towards the light.**_

Breaking free from his own restrictions that binded his own body to be stagnant, Kakashi moved his left leg forward, then his right, until he reached the apex of the golden light glowing in front of him. With a sigh of relief the Jōnin's posture relaxed and straightened, granting him to become more stable.

_**Reach out... Reach for the light.**_

Kakashi stretched his arm out desperately to the light and grabbed the thin air and the light along with it. The light spiraled in a clockwise windmill motion with strong suction to another dimension. The man drugged with fatigue felt his body being sucked along with the light, but he complied and stepped forward to accept whatever challenge was ahead.

**_Go and change the outcome, boy._**

_'Protect what Rin loves most.'_

* * *

A/N: I _hope _this chapter somewhat entertained you guys. It's the first time I've written like this. XD I have tried to harness my writing style during my hiatus - I hope I didn't fail! Anyway, I apologize for _any_ mistakes! I shall try to write better in future chapters. :D

I shall also try and make this story entertaining for all you guys! Kakashi won't just happily skip past the challenges up ahead, don't worry! I won't make him godlike, either. It may seem like he's a God, but I have no intention in making him into a God.

Things he won't have:

1) Rinengan

2) Sage of Six Paths type of power.

Anyways, for each chapter I'm going to recommend an author and their work(s). For this prologue, I suggest my awesome friend Duesal! For me, he's one of the best time-travel writers here.

So I beg you guys to check it out! It'll be worth your time. I also suggest reading his other works. ;) They're pretty awesome!

_**Hands of Time by Duesal Bladesinger.**_

_The creation of an ascended being puts a strain on reality. A little too much effort on his part or even just a slight loss of control may very well result in a tear—a warping of time and space itself. Unfortunately, Naruto and Sasuke have to pay the consequences. [Time-Travel. Warring Clans Era. No Yaoi. No Bashing.]_

_**A New Dawn **_

_Obito is able to seal the Jūbi within himself a bit faster than he expected, fast enough that the Allied Shinobi Forces haven't reached them yet. This leaves Uzumaki Naruto completely at his mercy. He cannot resist when the Ten-Tail's Jinchūriki forces him from his own world. A dimension-hopping story._

They're awesome and I highly recommend you guys read it!

Till I write again,

**Exciled3**


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